Method and apparatus for producing pile fabrics



Feb. 12, 1935. w. D. KELLOGG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PILE FABRICS Filed July 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORN EYT OOOOOOO INVENT R MI 101 B 9 G eoooovooooooo ooooomvooooooo \m vm Feb. 12, 1935. w. DyKELLOGG 1,990,907

I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FILE FABRICS Filed July2l, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OOOOOOOOOOOOUOO ATTORN EYJ Patented Feb. 12, 1 935 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCIN G v PILE FABRICS Application July 21, 1933, Serial No. 681,453

10 Claims. (01. 112 49) This invention relates to the art of producing pile fabrics having a pattern on the pile surface and is concerned more particularly with a novel figured pile fabric, and a new method and apparatus for producingsuch fabrics by a sequence of operations which does not involve weaving.

The production of pile fabrics without weaving has been carried on heretofore and the method commonly used includes insertion of the pile 1'0 yarns in a fabric backing by means of needles,

the fabric being then coated on the back with an adhesive which binds the pile yarns in place. Special sewing machines are employed for inserting the pile yarns and one form of machine used has hollow needles through which the yarn is threaded. The needles move up and down rapidly as the fabric is fed beneath them and they carry the yarn through the fabric, and as they are withdrawn a loop 'of yarn is formed which projects from the back of the fabric. Suitable means are provided to prevent the needles from pulling the previously inserted loops from the fabric as the needles pass through the latter,

and the insertion of the yarns proceeds rapidly with the production of loops of uniform length. The tops of the loops may then remain connected or be severed, depending on the type of fabric being made.

Such fabrics of the type described as have been 30 made heretofore have had a plain color pile, the pile yarns being dyed the selected color before being incorporated in the backing, although some attempts have been made to produce a figured pile by stamping or printing the colors on the pile surface of the goods. Figured pile fabrics thus made have not been satisfactory because the number of colors that can be used in the stamping or printing operations is small and the coloring material penetrates only a short distance into the pile. Also, sharp clean-cut designs cannot be produced in this manner because of the nature of the surface on which the color is applied. The appearance of the fabric is accordingly quite inferior to that of figured pile fabrics made by ordinary weaving operations.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a pile fabric made without weaving and having a patterned pile surface, in which the tuft yarns are dyed throughout their length and the design on the pile may include a greater number of colors than can be used in printing or stamping the design on the pile surface. In the new fabric, the pile figures are sharp and clean, and the appearance of the finished goods closely approximates that of a woven fabric with a pattern on the pile. The new 'method and apparatus provide a cheap and eflicient way of producing the new fabric.

According to the new method, the pile yarns are colored at different places along their length 5 in accordance with the pattern to be produced, this operation being one of spot printing which superficially resembles warp printing but differs therefrom in that it is not carried on while the yarns are on a drum and does not require the subsequent setting by hand which is so expensive a feature of warp printing. After the application of the coloring material in the manner described, the yarns are treated to set the color and to remove excess, and they are then dried. Following the drying, the yarns are introduced into a fabric backing by tufting operations, the back of the fabric is coated with adhesive, and the adhesive dried. Thereafter, the tuft loops may be severed if a pile surface made up of tufts instead of loops is desired. The operations described are preferably carried on continuously, with the tuft yarns drawn from a beam or spools, colored, and led directlyto the tufting machine.

In such a continuous operation, the spots of color on the yarns retain their desired relative positions and this insures that the pattern on the pile will have figures with sharp clean edges.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference maybe had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view partly in longitudinalelevation and partly in section showing a portion of the apparatus used in practicing the new method;

Figure 2 is a continuation of Figure 1 showing the remainder of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the apparatus used for coloring the yarns;

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views showing a detail of the mechanism for coloring the yarns;

Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views showing details of the tufting mechanism;

Figure 8 is a plan View of a portion of the tufting mechanism;

Figure 9 is a sectional view through a portion of the finished fabric, and

Figure 10 is a plan view of a portion of the fabric.

Referring now to the drawings, the uncolored 50 tuft yarns are illustrated as supplied from a beam 11 supported on a suitable shaft and the strands of yarn pass upward from the beam over idle rolls 12 and 13 and through a reed diagrammatitally illustrated at 14:. From the fwd, the strands of yarn are advanced with a step by step motion by means of driven feed rolls 15 and 16. In the space between the reed and the rolls is an apparatus generally designated 17 for applying the color to the strands and this device includes a plurality of containers 18 for different coloring materials. These containers are disposed below the strands and supported by any convenient means and within each container is a printing pad 19. These printing pads are supported on cross members 20 reciprocated in vertical guideways 21 by connecting rods 22 actuated by eccentrics 23 on shafts 24. The shafts are given an intermittent rotary motion by any suitable means and, as the connecting rods are raised, they carry'the printing pads 19 out of the solution and into position just below the tuft yarns 25. Each pad has a width substantially equal to the length of a pile tuft in the finished fabric, and, accordingly, wherever a color appears in the pattern on the pile, the yarns in the area of that color, bear the color throughout the entire'length of the tufts. The colors in the design are, thus, not merely on the surface of the pile but extend from the top of the pile surface to the fabric backing. This is an effect which cannot be satisfactorily obtained when-the pattern on the pile is made by stamping or printing operations. 4

In order that the yarnsmay receive spots of color at the appropriate points, means are provided for forcing the individual yarns into contact with the color pads and, in the apparatus illustrated, these means take the form of color blocks 26, the operation of which is controlled by a suitable jacquard mechanism. This jacquard mechanism, generally designated 2'7, is of any well known type, and it is actuated by design cards 28 which are passed over a rotating cylinder 29 in the usual manner. The cards are punched to have holes, the position of which determines the location of the spots of color on the yarns. The jacquard mechanism includes the usual needles 30 and their associated wires 31, each wire having a hook which rests on a stationary hook grid 32. The mechanism also includes the usual supporting frame 33 for knives 34 which are engageable with the upper hooks of the wires 31. The frame 33 is raised and lowered by means of a lever 35 connected to the frame by a link 36, lever 35 being actuated by a connecting rod 37 reciprocated in any suitable manner.

In the operation of the device, the cylinder 29 moves horizontally to bring one of the cards into contact with the projecting ends of the needles and the needle ends either enter the openings'in the card or strike the blank spaces on it. As the cylinder continues to advance, those needles which are opposite blank spaces on the card are pushed horizontally, and they move the wires 31 to which they are connected out of the path of the knives 34. At the proper instant. the knife frame 33 rises and the knives engage those wires, the needles of which have entered openings in the card. 7

The lower end of each wire ,is connected by a harness cord 38 to a lug 39 on a type block 26, this block being pivotally mounted at 40 in a suitable frame member 41 supported above the pile yarns. A spring 42 attached to a tail oneach block and to the supporting member 41 tends to maintain the block in normal vertical position, and when the wires 31 rest on the hook plate 32, the harnesscords 38 are somewhat slack. As the knife frame 33 is raised at the proper instant in the operation of the device, it lifts the wires which have been selected by the card and the raising of the wires causes the type blocks connected thereto by the harness cords to be tilted to the dotted line position designated 26' in Figure 4.

The type blocks 26 are arranged in rows extending transverse of the group of pile yarns and there are as many rows of blocks as there are colors in the pattern to be produced and each row contains asmany blocks as there are 'pile yarns in the group. The supporting member 41 on which the blocks of a row are mounted form' part of a frame and there are as many of the frames as there are colors. These frames are arranged to move vertically on guides 44 and they are reciprocated by connecting rods 45 on shafts 24. The operation of the frames is such that during the periods of rest in the movement of the yarns, the frames are moved downward so that the blocks thereon engage the yarns and depress them into contact with the color pads 19. Color is thus applied to yarns which have been selected by the cards used in the jacquard mechanism. The action of the blocks and pads results in sharply defined lengths of the yarns being given the appropriate color and the jacquard mechanism permits the application of a large number of colors to selected places along the length of the yarns.

In the construction illustrated, the type blocks are shown as being pivotally mounted, but it is to be understood that any other movable mounting may be employed so long as the blocks can be moved out of yarn-engaging position by means of the harness cords.

From the mechanism for applying the color,- the yarns are drawn by feed rolls 15 and 16 into a steam chest 46 and between upper and lower rows of steam pipes 47 and 48. These pipes direct live steam upon the yarns and cause the colors to set so that the color in one spot does not run or spread into the adjacent spot. The yarns are then festooned about idle rolls 49 between vertical steam coils 50 and from the last of the idle rolls, the yarns pass to a washing tank 51 containing a washing solution 52. In the washing tank, the yarns pass over and under rolls 53 so that they are thoroughly washed, the solution being agitated by paddles 54. The washing solution removes excess color and sizing material which remains on the printed yarns.

From the last roll 53 in the washing tank, the yarns pass up and practically around a rotating steam drum 55, supported for rotation in any suitable manner and driven intermittently in ,tirned relation with the feed rolls 15 and 16. The

strands leave the drum at the idle roll 56 and are then led upwardly to a reed 57 which keeps the yarn'ends in proper spaced relationto one another as they pass between feed rolls 58. The yarns then pass below a floating tension bar 59 and through another reed 60 and they are then divided to pass over spacing rods 61 of a tufting machine, the rods being so positioned thatqeach yarn of a group passing over one of the rods may be led directly to a needle in one of the rows ure 8. The needle bar is mounted in suitable guideways 84 and mpported at each end by a.

connecting rod 65, the connecting rods being actuated by eccentrics on the shaft 66.

The fabric which serves as a backing for the finished product may be of any suitable textile material and theroll 67 of the fabric is supported on a shaft 68 adjacent the tufting machine. The material is fed from the roll by feed rolls 69 and thence through the tufting machine to an idle roll 70 and partially around a roll 71 actuated in timed relation with the yarn feeding means. In its passage through the tufting machine, the

- fabric is supported by a plurality of sleeves '72 arranged in the same spaced relation as the needles and supported by a fixed member '73.

The fabric is fed through the tufting machine ward and the needles carry the yarns through the backing fabric and into the sleeves 72. Loops of yarns are thus passed through the fabric by the needles and as the needles rise, the loops remain on the under side of the fabric. In order that the insertion of the yarn by the needles will not cause the previously formed loops to be pulled out, a reciprocating plate 74 is provided having lugs 75 on its lower surface. The plate has openings through which the needles may pass and it is actuated by connecting rods 76 at its ends, these connecting rods being driven by cams 77 on the shaft 66. The plate 74 operates in timed relation to the needle plate and is lowered so that its lugs contact with the yarns in the last formed loops just before the needles carry the yarns through the fabric for the next loops. The lugs on the plate hold the yarns in the previously formed loops sufficiently firmly so that the loops will not be pulled out by the action of the needles.

As the fabric emerges from the tufting machine with the loops 78 of yarn extending from one surface, the fabric passes beneath idle rolls 79 and 80 and beneath platform 81. The fabric then passes upwardly over a roll 82 to a feed roll 83 driven in timed relation with the yarn feeding means. Between the rolls 82 and 83 the fabric passes beneath a container 84 for adhesive. This adhesive flows from the container onto the back of the fabric and is distributed thereover by a spreader blade 85. Various kinds of adhesive may be used for the purpose, such as rubber compositions, cellulose acetate, asphalt, and the like, a rubber composition being preferred. As the adhesive is spread over the back of the fabric, it coats the portions of the yarns exposed thereon. After the application of the adhesive, the fabric passes into a drying chamber 86 containing heating pipes 87 lying above the fabric. From the 'roll 83 which lies within the drier, the fabric is passed around upper and lower rolls 88 and between steam coils 89. The fabric passing out of the drier is led around roll 90 and passes to the take-up roll 91 on a shaft 92 driven in timed relation to the yarn feeding means. If desired, the

loops of the pile may be cut to form the cut pile surface, as illustrated at 93 in Figure 9, any,

or stamped fabrics, the color areas are confused and are of irregular outline and the appearance of the fabric is distinctly different from that of a woven fabric. The fabric made in accordance with the present invention, however, approaches a woven fabric in appearance very closely.

By the combination of the devices disclosed, the method of the invention may be carried on continuously, the yarn being advanced with a step by step motion throughout the apparatus. The coloring device and the tufting mechanism are operated in timed relation and the relation of the printed areas on the yarns to one another is maintained from the'coloring device to the tufting mechanism so that the pattern on the pile is sharp and clean-cut.

What I claim:

1. A method of producing a fabric having a pile surface which comprises applying colors in spots on said pile yarns, the colors and their locations on the yarns being selected in accordance with the pattern to appear on said pile surface and the length of each spot of color on a yarn being at least equal to the length of the portion of said yarn which is to form a single pile tuft in said surface,inserting loops of said colored yarns in a fabric base with a major portion of each loop exposed at the face of the base and a minor portion lying at the back of the base, and applying a binding coating to the back of the base and said minor portions of theloops.

2. A method of producing a fabric having a pile surface which comprises applying coloring matter in spots on said pile yarns, the colors and their locations in the yarns being selected in accordance with the pattern to appear on said pile surface and the length of each spot of color on a yarn being at least equal to the length of the portion of said yarn which is to form a single pile tuft in said surface, setting the coloring matter, removing excess coloring matter, inserting loops of said colored yarns in a fabric base with a major portion of each loop exposed at the face of the base and a minor portion lying at the back of the base, and applying a binding coating to the back of the base and said minor portions of the loops.

3. A method of producing a fabric having a pile surface, which comprises spot printing colors on pile yarns drawn from a supply, steaming said yarns to set the colors, removing excess coloring material, inserting loops of said colored yarns in a base with a major portion of each loop exposed at the face of the base and a minor portion lying at the back of the base, and applying a binding coating to the back of the base and said minor portions of the loops.

4. A method of producing a fabric having a pile surface, which comprises spot printing colors on pile yarns drawn from a supply, steaming said yarns to set, the colors, removing excess coloring material, inserting loops of said colored yarns in a base with a major portion of each loop exposed at the face of the base and a minor portion lying at the back of the base, applying a binding coating to the back of the base and said minor portions of the loops, and drying said binding coating."

5. A method of producing a. fabric having a pile surface, which comprises spot printing colors on pile -"y arns drawn from a supply, steaming said ym to set the colors, removingexcess colormg material, drying said yarns, inserting loops of said colored yarns in a base with a major portion of each loop exposed at the face of the base and a minor portion lying at the back of the base, and applying a binding coating to the back.

of the base and said minor portions of the loops.

6. A method of producing a fabric having a pile surface which comprises advancing pile yarns with a step by step movement, applying coloring material to the yar'ns in spots, the locations of said spots and the coloring material applied thereto being selected in accordance with a pattern to appear on said pile surface, inserting loops of said colored yarns in a base with a major portion of each loop exposed at the face of the base and a minor portion of each loop lying at the back of the base, and applying abinding compoundto the back of the base and; the minor portions of said loops, the color applying and yarn inserting operations being carried on in timed relation to the advance of said yarns.

7. A method of producing a fabric having a figured pile surface which comprises advancing pile yarns with a step by step movement, during the periods of rest of said movement, applying coloring material to the yarns in spots, the locations of said spots and the coloring material applied thereto being selected in accordance with the pattern to appear on said surface, and inserting loops of said colored yarns in a base with a major portion of each loop exposed at the face of the base and a minor portion of each loop lying at the back of the base, and applying a binding compound to the back of the base and the .minor portions of said loops.

8. Apparatus for producing a fabric having a figured pile surface comprising the combination of means for advancing pile yarns from a supply with a step by step movement, means for applying spots of colors to said yarns in accordance with the pattern which is to appear on the pile surface, means for inserting loops of said yarns in a base with the major portions of said loops extending from the face of said base and the minor portions from the back of the base, and means for applying a binding coating to the back of said base and to the minor portions of said loops, said color applying and loop inserting means operating on the pile yarns during the periods of rest in their movement.

9. Apparatus for producing a fabric having a figured pile surface which comprises the combination of means for advancing pile yarns from a supply, means for 'applying spots of colors to said yarns in accordance with the pattern which is to appear on the pile surface, means for inserting loops of said yarns in a base with major portions of said loops extending from the face of the base and minor portions extending from the back of the base, and means for applying a binding material to the back of the base and the minor portions of said loops.

10. Apparatus for producing a fabric having a figured pile surface which comprises means for advancing pile yarns from a supply with a. step by step movement, means for applying spots of colors to said yarns in accordance with the pattern which is to appear on the pile surface, means for inserting loops of said yarns in a base with major portions of, the loops extending from the face of the base and minor portions extending from the back of the base, means for applying a binding material to the back of the base and the minor portions of said loops, and means. for causing said binding material to set.

' WILLIAM D. KELLOGG. 

